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Apple Targets "Temple Jump" Dev In App Store Copycat Purge

Copycat games slip through the cracks all the time in the mobile and casual gaming space, as most users simply don't care. But when one developer is cloning dozens of popular games (and doing it poorly, we might add), Apple is apparently willing to take action.

The developer in question is Anton Sinelnikov, whose Temple Jump app poorly mimicked the style, icon and name of legitimate game Temple Run. It managed to trick enough players into purchasing it that it made it to number one in the paid app charts, which is likely why Apple took notice.

Gamasutra reports that of Sinelnikov's previous 68 apps, only nine remain in the app store now. The removed offenders include the aforementioned Temple Jump, plus Numbers with Friends, Angry Ninja Birds, Plant vs. Zombie and more. They were all garbage copies of great existing games.

It's nice that Apple took action, but their review process in such cases remains as mysterious as ever. Casual copycatting has been brought up a lot lately, from Spry Fox's Triple Town/Yeti Townlawsuit to Zynga's incredibly blatant Tiny Towerripoff. Does Apple have a responsibility in these cases as well? Tell us what you think in the comments or on Twitter.